Puddle Questions for Science

If you've read my Puddle Questions: Assessing Mathematical Thinking post, you know how much I love this series!

Happily there is a companion series, although not with as many volumes, for Science Performative Assessment Investigations. Of course, it's out of print and hard to find. But I'm going to keep a list of the titles that I do have, so that if I run across one that I'm missing I can grab it. Very highly recommended! All of the features that I love from the math set -- like the open-ended investigations, rubric for self-assessment, and samples of real life student work at each level -- are included in this series as well.

Today we are doing the "Parachute Drop" activity from the grade 5 book, inspired by our current Zoology block.

Octopus by Evelyn Shaw

Here's the "Parachute Drop" challenge:

As far as I know, the Science series only includes grades 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Here is what I have so far:

grade 2

#1 Puddle Observations
Describe a puddle in every way you can think of.

Find a puddle. Examine it closely. Write down what you find out.

#2 Bears and Bees
Compare a bear and a bee.

How are bears and bees alike? How are they different? Think of many ways.

Use words, pictures, or charts to show your ideas.

#3 Soak It Up
How do things absorb water?

Put drops of water on different materials. Watch what happens.

Sort the materials into groups. Show how they soaked up the water.

Record and label your groups.

#4 Animal Spaces
How would you design a space for an animal in a wild animal park?

Pick a wild animal. Read about your animal. Find out about its needs for food, water, space, and other things.

Use what you learned. Design a good space for your animal.

Draw a picture of your design. Tell what it looks like. Then tell how the space meets your animal's needs.

#5 Stick to It
Which recipe for paste works best?

Create some different paste mixtures. Record the recipes exactly. Test your pastes on paper.

Wait a day and check your papers. Tell how each paste recipe worked out. Which worked best?

#6 Shadow Changes
How does your shadow change throughout the day?

Find out about shadow changes.

Tell how your shadow changes. Use words and pictures to explain your discoveries.

#7 Penny Boats
Build a boat that holds pennies. Make it hold as many pennies as you can!

Draw a picture of your boat. Then write about it.

What things did you try? What worked? What didn't work? What helps to make it a strong boat?

#8 Sand Timers
Make a sand timer that measures exactly one minute.

Tell how you came up with your sand timer plan. How did you make it measure one minute?

Draw a picture of your sand timer. Tell how to make it and use it.

grade 4

#1 Puddle Observations
Describe a puddle in every way you can think of.

Find a puddle. Examine it closely. Record what you find out about your puddle.

#2 Close-Up Classification
How can you organize the things that you observe in a field site?

Pick an outdoor spot. Spread your loop of yarn out on the ground. Use pictures or words to make a list of everything you can see.

Think about how the thigns on your list are alike and different, and how they relate to each other. Create a classification system to organize all of the things on your list. Make a chart or diagram to show your system.

#3 Animal Spaces
How would you design a space for an animal in a wild animal park?

Select a wild animal. Suppose you are a park designer and want to create a good space for your animal. Research your animal to find out about its needs for food, water, space, and other things.

Use what you learn to design a space for your animal. Make a drawing of your space design, and write a description of it. Include its dimensions and any other important details. Be sure to explain how the space meets your animal's needs.

#4 Melt an Ice Cube
Suppose you want an ice cube to melt as fast as possible. What are some things you could do? What would be the fastest way?

Make a list of things you think you could do to make an ice cube melt fast. Design an experiment to test your ideas. Write about what you find out.

#5 Shadow Changes
How does your shadow change over the course of a day? Can you explain why it changes?

Find out about shadow changes.

Use words and pictures to describe your discoveries. Explain what you think causes shadow changes.

#6 Dissolving Rates
What factors might affect how quickly a breath mint dissolves? Choose one possible factor and design an experiment to find out how much of an effect it has.

Describe your experiment. Tell exactly what you did and what you found out. Be as detailed as possible.

#7 Strongest Structures
Buld the strongest structure you can using just one sheet of paper.

Test different designs to see how many books they hold. Describe each design you try. Sketches may help.

Write about what you find out. Which design is the strongest? Explain why you think it holds the most weight.

#8 Burglar Alarms
Draw up plans for a burglar alarm system for your classroom.

Plan a burglar alarm using simple materials that are easy to get. Draw a sketch of your alarm system. Tell exactly how to make it and how it works.

grade 5

#1 Puddle Observations
Describe a puddle in every way you can think of.

Find a puddle. Examine it closely. Record what you find out about your puddle.

#2 Two Flowers
How do two flowers compare?

Examine your two flowers closely.

Tell, in as much detail as possible, how they are alike and different. Use charts, diagrams, or words to report your comparisons.

#3 Food Chains
Make some "food chains" for different animals. What's the most complex food chain you can make?

Pick an animal. Think about what it eats and what eats it. Draw a diagram to show the food chain for your animal. Use resource books to help you take the chain as far as you can in all directions.

Do the same for other animals. Which is your most interesting food chain?

#4 Parachute Drop
How can you make a parachute that will fall to the ground as slowly as possible?

Describe each design you try, and tell what happens when you test it. Was it slow? Why or why not? Tell which parachute design worked best. Use sketches, where helpful, to make your ideas clear.

#5 Lunchtime Waste
How much waste do you create at lunchtime?

For a week, collect data on how much you throw away from your school lunch each day.

Write a report showing the data you collected. In your report, describe the kinds of waste you created, and the amount of each kind. Use your data to estimate how much waste you would create in a year of school lunches.

Make a list of all the ways you can think of to cut down on the amount of lunchtime waste you create.

#6 Ramp Roll
Think about the factors that might affect the distance a ball travels past the end of a ramp. Choose one possible factor and design an experiment to find out what effect it has.

Describe your experiment. Tell exactly what you did and what you found out. Use words, charts, graphs, or diagrams to help summarize your findings. Be as detailed as possible.

#7 Ant Food
Design an experiment about ants and their food.

Tell what you want to find out. Think about different ways you could design an experiment to help you find out.

Describe the experiment you think would work best and tell why. Explain exactly how to set up your experiment so that someone else can do it.

#8 Wind Ho!
Make an invention that is powered by the wind.

When you are finished, draw a sketch of your invention. Tell exactly how to make it and how it works.

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